The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed 18-year-old pitching prospect Hai-Cheng Gong to a minor league contract. A product of Major League Baseball’s Chinese Development Academy, Gong made his debut on the international stage with one scoreless outing for Team China at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Gong is the first pitcher from the academy to sign with an MLB team. If he makes the majors, he will be just the second Chinese-born player ever to make the big leagues.
